1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-forming method using a silver halide photographic material, specifically relates to an image-forming method of recording a digital data on a silver halide photographic material with little deterioration. More specifically the invention relates to a silver halide photographic material capable of realizing the image-forming method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the manufacture of a motion picture, a method of making a duplicate by printing on an intermediate film an image data photographed by using a negative film for photography as the original image, and further printing the duplicate on a positive film for motion picture to use it for projection has been conventionally used.
In many cases, an intermediate film for the manufacture of a duplicate is used two times. An original negative film is printed on a negative type intermediate film to make a master positive film. The master positive film is then again printed on an intermediate film to make a duplicate negative film. Lastly the duplicate negative film is printed on a positive film for motion picture to manufacture a print for screening.
In recent years in the manufacture of motion pictures, a method of converting an original image to a film as an analog image with a film recorder by digital synthesis and edition is rapidly prevailing. This is for the reason that by creating an image that is impossible in the actual world by synthesis and edition with the computer, the degree of freedom of presentation by image can be enlarged. Various images can be used as original images, for example, image data obtained by digitizing the image data photographed with a negative film for photography with a film scanner, image data photographed with an HD video camera, image data obtained by computer graphics and the like.
As the number of pixels of an original image, for example, when a negative film for photography is digitized with a film scanner to make an image data of 2,048×1,556, the number of pixels is 3,190,000 pixels.
When an original image is conveniently made into a digital data and screened by conventional analog projection as described above, such processes are taken as to print the original made as a digital data on an intermediate film and then print this duplicate on a positive film for motion picture similarly to the conventional method.
However, when such a method is used, a problem has newly arisen with the increase of resolution of digital data. When an original image is printed on a silver halide photographic material, the image quality is deteriorated and sufficient image quality for screening cannot be secured. There are problems of the improvement of the deterioration of image qualities ascribable to photographic characteristics of analog silver halide photographic materials, such as the occurrence of blotting, the deterioration of sharpness, and the reduction of color reproduction. JP-A-10-20461 (the term “JP-A” as used herein refers to an “unexamined published Japanese patent application”) discloses a silver halide photographic material that is characterized in that the N value of a magenta image by laser scanning exposure is from 100 to 200 μm. The N value is the amount corresponding to the blotting of an image, which patent discloses the decrement of blotting of letters in printing on color photographic paper. However, the size of a pixel is 12 μm or smaller in resolution of 2,000 dpi or more used in recent years in the field of the manufacture of motion picture, so that such an N value is apparently inappropriate in resolving a precise image data. Accordingly, it has been strongly desired to develop a method capable of recording a digital data on a silver halide photographic material with little deterioration.
Blotting and sharpness can be improved by the prevention of light scattering. It has been thought that the greater the surface area of silver halide grains of the constituent of photographic material, the greater is light scattering, such as tabular grains having a greater surface area. For example, JP-A-7-128791 discloses a technique and examples to improve sharpness by containing a fixed magenta dye in a layer on the further side from the support than a green-sensitive layer containing tabular silver halide grains.
As described above, conventional intermediate films are used for duplication by printing thereon an original image that is an image data photographed by using a negative film for photography, so that it is sufficient for conventional intermediate films to use fine silver halide grains having an average equivalent-sphere diameter of 0.35 μm or less that is almost free from light scattering and capable of highly precise recording.
However, when a digital data highly increased in resolution that is different from conventional use is recorded, occurrence of blotting, reduction of sharpness, and deterioration of color reproduction are conspicuous, so that conventional intermediate films are insufficient in recording precise images.
Accordingly, a silver halide photographic material capable of recording a digital data with little deterioration, that is, a silver halide photographic material capable of preventing occurrence of blotting, reduction of sharpness and deterioration of color reproduction, and capable of recording a digital data is strongly desired.
Further, a new problem arose at the time of recording a digital image data on a photographic material with a film recorder. In general, when a digital image data is recorded on a photographic material with a film recorder, for the purpose of determining the exposure conditions, a standard image is recorded in advance on a film on proper exposure conditions, developed, and the density is measured, and after the exposure amount is calibrated on the basis of the result of measurement of density, an original image is recorded appropriately. Accordingly, the deviation of the tint of image occurs by the fluctuation of the photographic properties in the development processing of the film used. Therefore, a silver halide photographic material little in fluctuation of development processing is strongly desired.